Trucking news and briefs for Wednesday, July 28, 2021: Minneapolis bans truck parking beginning in 2022The Minneapolis City Council voted Friday, July 23, to enact a ban on truck parking within the city limits. The ordinance passed by a 12-1 vote. Beginning Jan. 1, 2022, any vehicle weighing more than 26,000 pounds or with a registered gross weight over 26,000 pounds will not be allowed to “stop, stand or park on any street” in the city unless the vehicles meet the following conditions:
Violations of the ordinance will result in a $100 fine during 2022; a $150 fine during 2023; and a $250 fine beyond 2023. The ordinance also directs city staff to look for sites zoned appropriately for the development of commercial truck parking facilities in the city; engage with the League of Minnesota Cities, metro cities and regional partners to discuss truck parking challenges in Minneapolis-St. Paul and to consider potential policy recommendations; and to deliver a report to the Minneapolis City Council in the fourth quarter of 2022 on developer feedback in attempting to build truck parking in the city, the first year’s experience with enforcement, and the results of efforts to find regional solutions to truck parking. John Hausladen, President and CEO of the Minnesota Trucking Association, expressed disappointment in the council's decision and emphasized the need for bringing more safe parking to the city, rather than taking it away. "The Minnesota Trucking Association is extremely disappointed with the action of the Minneapolis City Council [Friday]," he said. "It not only bans on-street parking for commercial trucks, but it provides no meaningful city resources to address the need for safe truck parking. We should be looking for ways to provide more safe parking for truck drivers, instead of pursuing a policy that would diminish an essential industry and do real economic harm to the city." 3PLs Worldwide Express, GlobalTranz set to mergeRidgemont Equity Partners, a buyout and growth equity investor, announced its investment in the combination of third-party logistics providers Worldwide Express and GlobalTranz Enterprises. Ridgemont in 2015 invested in Unishippers Global Logistics and subsequently led a transaction in 2017 in partnership with Worldwide Express management to merge Unishippers into Worldwide Express. Going forward, Ridgemont will retain a meaningful stake in the combined company formed by the combination of Worldwide and GlobalTraz. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The combined company will have offerings in parcel, less-than-truckload, full truckload and managed transportation delivered through proprietary technology. It will continue to go to market both directly and indirectly via franchisees and independent freight agents and serve a customer landscape that spans from small and medium sized businesses to larger enterprises. Together, it will also have unique data assets and business intelligence capabilities to provide its customers with visibility and analytics to drive competitive advantages. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD
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Air Products and Cummins Inc., have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), calling for the companies to work together to accelerate the integration of hydrogen fuel cell trucks in the Americas, Europe and Asia. Cummins will provide hydrogen fuel cell electric powertrains integrated into selected OEM partners’ heavy-duty trucks for Air Products, as Air Products begins the process of converting its global fleet of distribution vehicles to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. Following a successful demonstration and pilot phase, Air Products plans to convert its global fleet of approximately 2,000 trucks to hydrogen fuel cell zero-emission vehicles. Cummins and Air Products expect the demonstration phase to begin in 2022. Additionally, Cummins and Air Products will work together to increase the accessibility of renewable hydrogen, including hydrogen infrastructure opportunities that promote the adoption of hydrogen for mobility, according to an announcement. “We believe hydrogen is the future for heavy-duty segments of the transportation market and we can demonstrate to the world its merits by being a first-mover in transitioning our heavy-duty fleet of trucks to hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles," said Seifi Ghasemi, Air Products’ chairman, president and chief executive officer. "We are pleased to be working with Cummins to achieve our fleet transition goals. Sustainability is Air Products’ growth strategy and creates our growth opportunities, and nothing says more about our company’s approach to sustainability than a fleet of zero-emission vehicles on the road delivering product to customers every day." Cummins Chairman and CEO Tom Linebarger called the partnership "another turning point for hydrogen and the energy transition," adding, "As we develop the technologies of tomorrow, we need the partnership of others to be successful, and this partnership with Air Products is the next step in leading the industry on the path to a zero-emissions future." “The best way to promote the adoption of hydrogen for mobility in heavy-duty applications is for us to have units on the road and lead by example. In addition to other heavy-duty applications like transit fleets, where we already provide fueling solutions, the semi-truck market is a major opportunity for hydrogen due to its rigorous requirements," said Eric Guter, Air Products vice president for hydrogen for mobility solutions. "Only hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can provide the necessary range, refueling time, and weight requirements to decarbonize this important transportation sector." Working with Air Products, Cummins Vice President and President of Cummins' New Power Amy Davis said, "is important step towards transitioning thousands of their trucks to zero-emissions, hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles.Together with Air Products, we will combine our vast expertise in hydrogen—from production to consumption—with the on-road learnings we already have through our Cummins-powered zero-emissions fleet," she said. "From the hundreds of battery electric buses and trucks to fuel cell systems for bus and rail, working with these innovative fleets creates the tipping point necessary for us to scale and accelerate a carbon-neutral world." Hydrogen is an important technology option for sustainable transportation, including for heavy-duty vehicles. Hydrogen fuel cells are gaining momentum as the technology of choice in heavy-duty applications due to the duty cycles, especially in extreme climate conditions. Hydrogen as a transportation fuel most closely mirrors the traditional consumer transportation fuel experience. The company’s technologies are used in over 1.5 million refuelings annually across 20 countries, with Air Products having been involved in over 250 projects, the company said. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Fleet management technology news briefs for the week of July 26 EROAD to grow telematics presence with Coretex acquisitionEROAD has a conditional agreement with Coretex to acquire the telematics provider and expand its market presence in North America, Australia and New Zealand. The acquisition, said EROAD, will accelerate the company’s growth metrics by two years in North America and Australia by adding 64,177 connected units. EROAD supplies in-vehicle fleet management, dashcams and trailer telematics. “To accelerate growth, any acquisition target needed to deliver increased capability, improved customer experiences and access to additional market verticals. In Coretex we have found a highly complementary partner which allows us to satisfy these criteria,” said Steven Newman, chief executive of EROAD. The acquisition is expected to complete in the second half of EROAD’s 2022 fiscal year. Phillips Connect partners with Velociti for trailer telematics supportPhillips Connect is now using Velociti to install its trailer telematics system for new and current fleet customers and to provide post-deployment monitoring, support and repair services. Customers of Phillips Connect will have a designated Velociti project manager to arrange for equipment installation by certified Velociti technicians. Phillips Connect’s asset health monitoring will be integrated with support provided through Velociti’s VeloCare service. Tenstreet creates FleetCheck survey moduleTenstreet, which supplies a driver applicant tracking and qualifications platform to carriers, developed a new FleetCheck survey module for its customers to send an anonymous two-question survey to their drivers once or twice a week, depending on preference. The survey is like an NPS tool, the company said. When drivers take FleetCheck surveys, their fleets have dashboard reporting that compiles the results to show an overall ranking, how many drivers responded, which drivers have not responded, and which drivers gave a below average score (i.e., the detractors). A below average score is an indication of an at-risk driver. The survey gives detractors the option of foregoing their anonymity if they wish to discuss their issue one-on-one with their manager. Orbcomm releases Tractor ID sensor for trailer telematicsOrbcomm has a new wireless Tractor ID sensor to confirm trailer pairing events with trucks. The Tractor ID sensor uses Bluetooth and radar filtering technology to ensure that tractors will be connected to the desired trailer. When drivers are in the vicinity of an assigned trailer, the system filters out nearby trailers that could lead to inaccurate pairings. When a driver connects to the correct trailer, an automated notification is sent through the integrated Orbcomm telematics platform to the customer’s dispatch system. The connection is validated before the driver leaves the yard. The ruggedized peripheral has a built-in battery designed to last more than seven years to ensure continuous usage without an external power source. Samsara partners with EVgo to assist fleet customers with electric transitionFleet ELD and telematics provider Samsara and EVgo, the nation's largest public fast charging network for electric vehicles (EVs), have partnered to help fleets accelerate towards EVs. EVgo is now the first electric vehicle partner on Samsara's Experts Marketplace, a network of certified implementation experts. EVgo designs, owns, operates and maintains a network of more than 1,100 Level 2 chargers and 800 direct current fast charging locations across 34 states. In addition to maintaining the largest public fast charging network in the United States, EVgo provides dedicated charging hubs and fleet depots. By 2025, an estimated 6 million commercial EVs are expected to be on the road globally. Since 2018, Samsara customers have driven more than 160 million cumulative hybrid and electric miles. "Samsara serves more than 20,000 customers across industries that are ripe for electrification and we're excited to partner with them to further accelerate the adoption of EVs," said Jonathan Levy, chief commercial officer at EVgo, SmartHop dispatch software integrates with DAT freight networkSmartHop, a load matching and dispatch system for small carriers and independent owner-operators, has integrated load data from DAT Freight & Analytics to give its customers access to more loads. “There’s fierce competition for truckload capacity today and our integration with DAT opens up millions of new loads and roads for independent drivers and small carriers,” said Guillermo Garcia, chief executive and co-founder of SmartHop. “Smaller carriers can access the best-paying loads with more peace of mind in a volatile spot market.” SmartHop says that carriers who use the system are currently booking more than 1,200 loads each month. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Tesla on Monday said it would delay the debut of its electric Class 8 tractor to next year, marking at least the third time Semi truck production has been pushed back since it was unveiled in 2017. Citing ongoing supply chain issues – including a global shortage of semiconductors and challenges ramping up vehicle production at new manufacturing sites around the world – the company said the "pace of the respective production ramps will be influenced by the successful introduction of many new product and manufacturing technologies, ongoing supply-chain related challenges and regional permitting. To better focus on these factories, and due to the limited availability of battery cells and global supply chain challenges, we have shifted the launch of the Semi truck program to 2022." The most recent delay was not totally unexpected as Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk has noted several times this year the company is experiencing a shortage in battery cells for production models of its passenger vehicles. When the sleek zero-emission tractor was unveiled in 2017 in Hawthorne, California – the home Tesla Motors’ design center and company founder Elon Musk’s SpaceX rocket factory – production was penciled in for 2019, and orders began to trickle in from the likes of UPS, FedEx, PepsiCo, Anheuser-Busch, J.B. Hunt, Walmart and others. In April 2020 Tesla said it would shift Semi deliveries to 2021 and now – 15 months later – it's been bumped into next year. Tesla listed Semi as "in development" on a slide deck shown to investors Monday behind Cybertruck – the company's electric pickup, which was unveiled about two years later. Both trucks have "TBD" listed for a production site and capacity, but in announcing Semi's delay Monday the company noted "we are also making progress on the industrialization of Cybertruck, which is currently planned for Austin (Texas) production subsequent to Model Y." Jerome Guillen, president of Tesla's Heavy Duty Trucking division, departed the company last month. A Freightliner expat, Guillen served in a key leadership role in the development of a new generation Freightliner Cascadia in the early 2000s, and his involvement was widely viewed as vital to the success of Tesla's Semi program. While Monday was bad news for Semi reservation holders, it was a good day to be an investor. The company reported that it produced and delivered more than 200,000 vehicles during the second quarter and surpassed $1 billion in quarterly net income for the first time. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD In response to growing COVID cases in some states, Walmart has begun temporarily shutting down stores for intensive cleaning. A leading industry analyst advised, however, that it’s too early to tell if the closures hint at additional major economic stress relative to the mutating disease that has now infected millions. Walmart stores in Jacksonville and Lynn Haven, Florida, closed Sunday afternoon for sanitization efforts and will remain closed until 6 a.m. Tuesday. This follows a store closure in Claremore, Oklahoma, two days before and a shut-down last week in West Melbourne, Florida. [Related: Mask wearing back in vogue--even for the vaccinated] The world’s largest retailer said concern for its employees and customers amid a growing wave of COVID cases are resulting in these sanitation shut-downs which typically take a day-and-a-half to complete. Third-party specialists handle sanitation efforts while Walmart employees restock shelves. “As you know, several areas across the country have begun seeing a renewed increase in positive COVID-19 cases, mainly among the unvaccinated, and we want to assist health officials working against the pandemic,” Walmart said in a statement. Tom QuimbyThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Friday that “COVID-19 cases are on the rise in nearly 90% of U.S. jurisdictions” including outbreaks “in parts of the country that have low vaccinations coverage.” ACT Research President and Senior Analyst Kenny Vieth said a COVID resurgence could drive up freight rates as cautious consumers opt for buying goods online instead of venturing out and “spending on experiences” where they could be more vulnerable to the virus. Consumer spending, however, could take a hit, Vieth advised, as stimulus programs are shelved. “While it is premature to suggest major economic damage at this early point in the COVID resurgence, there are vulnerable economic sectors,” Vieth said. “The bigger issue at this juncture is that stimulus programs like extended unemployment benefits are rolling-off in Q3 and the appetite for additional stimulus is waning. “Those service sector businesses that were particularly hard hit during the pandemic – restaurants, hotels, and airlines as examples – might find stimulus to be less accommodative going forward,” Vieth continued. Florida has been hit particularly hard, according to the CDC, and is now leading the nation for new COVID cases. One in five infections in the U.S. has been traced there with 73,181 cases emerging this past week. In its statement regarding its COVID sanitation efforts, Walmart promotes vaccinations for its customers “through walk-in or online appointments” and is also “offering easy access to vaccines for associates.” Walmart is offering a $75 bonus to associates who get the COVID vaccine and up to two hours of paid leave for those who choose to get the vaccination off-site. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Hyundai Motor Company Monday said it plans to deploy the company's latest hydrogen fuel cell electric heavy-duty trucks in California as part of two publicly funded projects slated to improve air quality in the region. The demo trucks that Hyundai will import into the U.S. are based on XCIENT Fuel Cell, the world's first mass-produced hydrogen-powered, heavy-duty truck. Debuting last year in Switzerland, XCIENT Fuel Cell has logged more than 620,000 miles over about 11 months of service. During that time, Hyundai claims the fleet has reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 630 tons compared to diesel-powered vehicles. The U.S. model provides a maximum driving range of 500 miles because the hydrogen will be stored in greater quantity on the vehicle in tanks rated at 700 bar, or about 10,000 psi, of pressure. The maximum gross combination weight of Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell truck will be more than 37 tons, or about 82,000 pounds. Hyundai Motor was also awarded a $500,000 grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) to demonstrate in Southern California two Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell heavy-duty trucks. Largely funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the project contributes to the attainment of clean air standards in the South Coast Air Basin by reducing emissions from diesel trucks. Hyundai and its fleet partner plan to begin operating these trucks next month for long-haul freight operations between warehouses in southern California for a 12-month period. Hyundai will also work with First Element Fuel (FEF), to utilize three hydrogen refueling stations in the region to refuel the trucks. "We look forward to seeing this important fuel cell project from Hyundai come to life," said Ben J. Benoit, South Coast AQMD's Governing Board chair. "The development of long-haul zero-emission truck technology is key to reducing emissions that will provide immediate benefits to our air and our communities." Deploying 30 XCIENT fuel cell trucks in northern California by mid-2023Hyundai Motor teamed with public and private partners in the U.S. to operate 30 units of Class 8 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks beginning in the first half of 2023 – the largest commercial deployment of Class 8 hydrogen-powered fuel cell trucks in the U.S. A consortium led by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) and Hyundai Motor recently won $22 million in grants from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Energy Commission (CEC) and $7 million in additional grants from the Alameda County Transportation Commission and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District in support of this project. Hyundai's NorCAL ZERO project, also known as Zero-Emission Regional Truck Operations with Fuel Cell Electric Trucks, will deploy 30 XCIENT units with a 6x4 drive axle configuration to Glovis America, a logistics service provider, by the second quarter of 2023. The consortium also plans to establish a high-capacity hydrogen refueling station in Oakland, California that will be able to support as many as 50 trucks with an average fill of 30 kilograms. Hyundai Motor was able to gain the support of California funding agencies and local communities to demonstrate its hydrogen fuel cell heavy-duty commercial vehicles, in large part due to the XCIENT Fuel Cell truck's proven track record in Europe. Hyundai announced last year it plans to deliver 1,600 XCIENT Fuel Cell trucks to Europe by 2025. The first 46 units were delivered to Switzerland in 2020. Based on the experience gathered from the initial demonstrations, Hyundai expects to accelerate efforts to officially launch its zero-emission commercial trucks in North America, and is already in talks with multiple logistics and commercial companies that are interested in leveraging hydrogen technology for their freight delivery and drayage services in the U.S. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Self-driving trucks have threatened to upend the freight industry for years, but a new report on the pace of patents within the tech industry focused on autonomous driving reveals how close the world is to this revolutionary event, and who the winners and losers might be. "Patent activity in autonomous vehicles is insanely hot right now and has been over the past three years," read a report from Patent Forecast, a firm that tracks intellectual property developments within industries. According to the report, issued patents and published applications have exploded in the last four years as the race to true self driving heats up, but the frontrunners in the pack have already begun to consolidate and widen their lead via partnerships. "Partnerships are becoming a vital part of the industry. Whether it be between OEMs and autonomous driving platforms, companies are beginning to realize that an autonomous vehicle is too large for any one company to tackle alone. Instead, more companies have created strategic portfolios to complement their niche," the report read. But, while partnerships facilitate the fusion of tech and hardware, as well as theory and practice, the real winners of the self-driving truck race will be patent owners, according to JiNan Glasgow George, the CEO of Patent Forecast. "If I give any theme for this report, it's partnerships," she said. "The biggest, most immediate need in self-driving vehicles is long haul trucking. We've already seen some successful applications, and it's still early." Patent Forecast's report looked at both the pace and scope of patents in the space as well as the broader market performance of each of the leading companies in self driving trucks to attempt to predict which company would win out in the end. Here's a look at some of the biggest players in the industry and where they stand. WaymoWaymo, owned by Google parent company Alphabet, took an early lead in filing for patents back in 2013 and has stayed more or less on top since then. According to George, Waymo now sits comfortably ahead of the pack and has a decent shot at completely dominating the market, just as Google Search and Google Maps dominate their respective sectors. "If you look at the company beyond trucking, they are about the data," she said. "My opinion is that Alphabet always goes for trying to monetize data. Usually Google companies don't have a long term patent need, they tend to buy companies. Waymo's portfolio doesn't cover enough to go into the vehicle applications, so they're going to have to make their technology vehicle agnostic." Basically, Waymo hasn't partnered with OEMs just yet because it may not need to. Waymo, according to George, will hope to invent a platform that works with all vehicles equally and then try to shut other competitors out of the space. Currently, Waymo is engaged in a massive amount of small scale passenger car testing and simulations to ensure their vehicles can operate safely in a long-haul environment. "In total, the Waymo Driver has driven across 10 states in the U.S. and accumulated over 20 million miles of autonomous driving experience on public roads, with an additional 20 billion miles in simulation," a Waymo representative told CCJ. Additionally, Waymo hopes to entirely side step the issue of road markings and sensors built into infrastructure by building a platform that works entirely with onboard and networked tech and sensors. "We aren’t asking cities or states to build out any special infrastructure for our autonomously driven trucks. Rather, our technology is designed to navigate the roads of today and will adapt to the roads of tomorrow," the Waymo representative said. Overall, George gave Waymo the top spot as the most likely company to bring self-driving trucks to the market, and the representative said the company was now focused on dealing with long tail risks like weather events and accidents on the highway by testing out their trucks in the relatively calm and temperate southeast. TuSimpleTuSimple has a partnership with Navistar to offer self-driving trucks equipped with its autonomous driving system beginning in 2024, but in 2021 it looks a few steps behind Waymo, though it's taken a decidedly different approach. "TuSimple has shown a lot of good activity, but it started later than Waymo, so there's a disadvantage," said George. TuSimple "has been able to build a fairly solid portfolio surrounding its core technologies which are its proprietary HD cameras that allow its trucks to operate day and night and AI truck control software," the report read. "For remaining LIDAR and radar technologies, the company has partnered with Aeva Inc and Sony to provide sensor technologies, which strategically fills holes in its patent portfolio and helps it catch up to a similar size as Waymo." Also, TuSimple has actually put the rubber to the road with a shipment of watermelons from Arizona to Oklahoma City that cut ten hours off a trip that typically averages 24 hours. TuSimple didn't respond to CCJ's requests for comments before the time of this article's publication. CCJ will update this article with any new information from TuSimple. AuroraAurora got a late start with trucking patents but has no shortage of tech genius behind the wheel as its founders hail from Google, Tesla, and Uber. The company has partnered with Volvo to retrofit some older trucks with self-driving technology, but most notably acquired Uber's Advanced Technologies Group, which worked on self-driving trucks. More recently, Aurora made headlines with talk of going public via an SPAC. Currently, the company is valued at more than $10 billion. While other companies have sought to partner with other firms to cover gaps, Aurora has taken on mostly a "buy" strategy of acquiring partners or competitors, said George. Overall, George doesn't expect Aurora to beat Waymo or TuSimple to market, but won't count the firm out just yet. Aurora declined to comment on its patent strategy in a move that may confirm how fiercely companies in this space protect their intellectual property. How close are we to self driving trucks?These days, most big self-driving truck companies could put a truck on a highway on a clear, sunny day and not run into too many problems. But, as any trucker knows, weather, traffic, and accidents on the road can spoil plans in a moment's notice. That's where self-driving trucks need to catch up.Onboard technology to facilitate self-driving trucks has advanced about as far as it can without smart infrastructure that talks to the onboard tech. According to George, because trucking and the infrastructure that supports it, spans the country, federal agencies need to coordinate and decide on a unified approach to smart infrastructure. "The issues are the coordination across federal and state governments and the DOT," said George. "There are a lot of agreements that have to come together to make that work." Additionally, unlike tech applications in a fixed location, self-driving trucks can't rely on connectivity and cloud computing, according to George. Instead, they'll need onboard processors to get realtime information from smart infrastructure that will help them adapt to weather or traffic conditions. "On the highways, trucks can’t be worried about connectivity to the cloud. Vehicles themselves need to communicate with distributed infrastructure. They're solving that with edge computing," said George. "You can’t solve it with cloud or micro cloud computing you have to have true edge, near where you need the analytics. Every intersection is going to need some sort of infrastructure to manage the vehicle data. Sensors that relate to weather and lights and traffic." In that way, self-driving trucks are simultaneously right around the corner and a world away. Most industry experts agree the shift to unmanned vehicles will eventually happen, but even the best-funded tech firm can't get make federal, state, and local governments agree on infrastructure overnight. But big tech's race for patents in the self-driving space proves that the country's sharpest minds in tech and infrastructure realize the money to be made in autonomous trucking will be in owning intellectual property or becoming a platform for a wide range of users. As for fleets looking to keep their heads above a rising tide when the autonomous driving revolution finally does come around, look out. Bigger, more invested fleets are sure to have the first-mover advantage. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD The recent shutdown of America’s largest gasoline pipeline recently resulted in a shock to the U.S.'s infrastructure topped off with a $5 million payout to hackers while serving as another warning that cyberattacks pose ever-present risks. As of early May 2021, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security estimates a nearly threefold increase in ransomware attacks during the past year. A majority of these attacks targeted smaller businesses. A new whitepaper by Polaris Transportation Group (PTG), the 2020 CCJ Innovator of the Year, outlines a strategy it has been successfully using to mitigate these risks. [Related: Top 5 signs you’ve been hacked, and what comes next?] PTG is a cross-border transportation and supply chain solutions company based in Ontario, Canada. CCJ recognized the company as Innovator of the Year for automating the customs process and digitizing freight transactions. The company started an IT-focused firm, NorthStar Digital Solutions, to handle its own growing IT security needs and those of similar clients. IT downtime — the real cost of a cyberattackThe whitepaper explores the cost of IT downtime, noting that it isn’t limited to specific loss of files or megabits of data from a cyberattack. Costs also can include damage to client relations, finances, employee retention, business growth and more. Many IT security breaches are “silent killers” with sophisticated technology that penetrates a company’s systems before anyone is even aware they’ve been attacked. Solid techniques, training programs and system infrastructures afford some protection. [Related: Fleets use layered approach for cybersecurity. Is it enough?] Organizations like financial and health care institutions handle sensitive data and have spent millions of dollars to proactively secure their platforms and networks. Transportation firms have traditionally not invested as heavily in security, making them easier targets for professional hackers. Hackers have recently discovered weak IT security postures in transportation and supply chain verticals. They are targeting organizations to steal data, ransom systems operations, use phishing campaigns to extract funds through fraudulent accounts, or steal passwords and commit identity theft. Upgrading IT security measuresThe whitepaper points out that antivirus protection no longer provides sufficient security. In the present world of digital integrations, IT security requires elevated protection that accounts for connection complexities and accompanying security and preventive tools and measures. NorthStar Digital Solutions emphasizes that when proper IT security is in place, such as firewalls and whitelisting, employees will notice and may be asking why they can no longer connect to websites they used to be able to. The company also recommends having someone fill the role of chief information security officer and an IT security group. These roles should be deputized to refuse connections they think will add risk to the organization and its clients. “All this will cost money and add layers to system processes, but it should be considered a ‘must have’ in some capacity," the whitepaper notes. Baseline recommendations for strengthening IT security postures include: · Add in solid SIEM (security information event management) protection for current system foundations. · Use end-user training programs for cybersecurity awareness, protection and proactive password management. This goes for all employees. · Use two-factor authentication solutions — if not for the entire organization, at least for senior-level executives and decision makers. · Combine security efforts with your cloud hosting solutions providers, which can provide additional levels of protection. The catch is that you’ll need to know what to ask for and what you want to spend. · Set appropriate policies for privacy and systems usage so that these are part of your code of conduct and expectations set for employees. · Establish a disaster recovery plan for IT security that incorporates a return point objective and a return to operations plan. This should include a fully manual contingency in case all systems fail. When to call the expertsNorthStar Digital Solutions recommends that every organization determine its own potential risks and security gaps. Those risks and gaps may be difficult to identify, in which case, enlisting the services of a highly rated cybersecurity consulting team will help. Experts can provide their clients with an IT security overview that shows what’s sufficient and provides recommendations to protect against the biggest, most immediate risks. NorthStar Digital advises organizations to take incremental steps to address the whole system once the most critical security holes are filled. Back it up: the 3-2-1 RuleNorthStar Digital says the impact of an unplanned IT security event can be limited by having system backups. Technology personnel often cite a “3-2-1 rule”: Store three copies of your data on two different mediums and keep one copy offsite. Testing the integrity of backups is critical, the company says in the whitepaper, to ensure that recovery can happen if the backup platform were compromised. “The problem with most IT disaster recovery plans or business continuity plans is that they are static processes with only vague procedures to back them,” NorthStar Digital says. “They’re tested perhaps once a year by the person who wrote them, if that.” According to NorthStar, it’s wise to move infrastructure offsite and sign a hosting contract. But simply hiring a cloud architect and believing the company will make things safe and secure won't work, cautions NorthStar, because that’s a separate role. “A cloud architect also won’t maintain the cloud platform, since they’re project-focused; they’ll finish the job and move on. A cloud architect will also build your cloud platform with no regard for cost,” the whitepaper said. NorthStar Digital acts as an IT security partner for companies to gain an understanding of their IT business objectives, build a migration plan, and ensure that cloud systems are resilient with multilocation availability. It also secures and maintains those systems 24/7, 365 days a year. To download a full copy of the whitepaper, click here. The whitepaper was created in partnership with Randall-Reilly, parent company of CCJ. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Monday, July 26, 2021: ACT’s For-Hire Trucking Index dips, but metrics remain strongThe latest release of ACT’s For-Hire Trucking Index, with June data, showed volumes slowing, pricing moderating at a high level, and a still-strong supply-demand balance. Even though freight volumes declined, Carter Vieth, a research associate with ACT, said volumes remain at a healthy level following an upwardly revised May. “And with continuing lean U.S. inventories, durable goods orders rising to record levels, and consumers enjoying record wealth and savings, the fundamentals of the freight cycle remain clearly positive,” he added. Vieth also noted that ACT’s For-Hire Pricing Index moderated at a high level, ending a six-month run of consecutive increases. Despite the leveling off, June’s pricing reading was still the eighth best since the survey began in June 2009. “Developments in the driver market and freight volumes will be key to the near-term rate outlook,” he said. “While spot rates may come under pressure from driver re-entry, underlying equipment capacity tightness supports a positive contract rate outlook.” FMCSA finalizes requirement for all-electronic CDL info exchangeJust a week after the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General called on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to boost its CDL oversight, the agency is finalizing a rule that requires states to implement fully electronic transmission of driver history record information through the CDL Information System, including the posting of convictions, withdrawals, and disqualifications. The final rule, published in the Federal Register Friday, July 23, and effective Aug. 23, requires states to have the electronic systems in place no later than Aug. 22, 2024. “While all states currently have the technical capability to transmit the DHR information through CDLIS, some [state driver’s license agencies] are unable to do so when the driver information (e.g., driver's CDL number, date of birth, or state of record), required for CDLIS to validate and accept the electronic record, is incorrect or missing,” FMCSA said in the final rule. “Under those circumstances, states must rely on alternative methods of transmission, such as the U.S. mail.” FMCSA believes the three-year grace period gives states enough time to overcome these hurdles to fully implement the electronic systems. Truck driver charged with smuggling 115 immigrants in trailerA 43-year-old resident of Rosharon, Texas, is alleged to have attempted to smuggle dozens of undocumented non-citizens, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Jennifer B. Lowery. According to the charges, Michael Warren Mccoy was stopped on U.S. Highway 59 approximately eight miles east of Laredo. Law enforcement reported conducting a traffic stop on the truck bearing Texas license plates due to a failure to drive in a single lane. At that time, they cut the seal on the trailer doors and discovered a total of 115 undocumented individuals, according to the charges. The complaint alleges Mccoy expected to be paid $250 for the transport, and that he'd made three previous, similar trips. If convicted, Mccoy faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD Trucking news and briefs for Friday, July 23 2021: Trucking coalition supports repeal of heavy truck taxThe Modernize the Truck Fleet, a coalition of trucking industry stakeholders – including the American Truck Dealers (ATD), American Trucking Associations and other groups – have announced their strong support for bipartisan legislation to repeal the 12% federal excise tax (FET) on the sale of heavy-duty trucks and trailers. The bill, S. 2435, which was introduced by Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Sen. Ben Cardin (D-Md.) – both members of the tax-writing Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over transportation-related taxes – will help modernize America’s heavy-duty truck fleet and protect the 1.3 million jobs supported by the U.S. trucking industry, the group claimed. Repeal of the FET allows fleets to replace older heavy-duty trucks with newer, safer and greener trucks. The coalition is urging Congress to include the Young/Cardin legislation in the bipartisan infrastructure legislation. "With most heavy-duty trucks over ten years old, passing this bill is crucial to help America modernize its aging truck fleet," said Steve Bassett, ATD chairman and dealer principal of General Truck Sales in Muncie, Indiana. The FET was first enacted by Congress in 1917 to help fund World War I and is the highest excise tax on a percentage basis that Congress levies on a product, often adding over $20,000 to the price of a new heavy-duty truck. The tax coupled with recent regulatory costs makes it more difficult for small businesses to afford a new truck. Mark Parker, ATD NextGen chairman from Linthicum Heights, Maryland, added that "doing away with the FET will help small businesses replace older trucks with new trucks that have the latest safety features, which will reduce crashes and increase highway safety.” Volvo debuts contract serviceVolvo Trucks North America has rolled out its Volvo Blue Contract service offering, a comprehensive maintenance program designed to improve uptime, assist in optimizing truck performance and simplify maintenance management for customers and dealers. The new Volvo Blue Contract provides a single premium service plan that replaces existing maintenance plans currently offered to customers, Volvo said. With monthly or pre-paid billing options, Volvo said customers can pay either on a recurring basis or up front with the purchase of their truck, either billed directly or through their dealer. Volvo Financial Services (VFS) can bundle the Volvo Blue Contract with a truck payment on a single invoice. This total solution allows the customer to pay the cost of the maintenance contract over time, interest free, Volvo said. “Well-maintained trucks increase overall fleet uptime and reduce overall cost of ownership. And a truck that is regularly and proactively inspected and serviced at a Volvo Trucks dealership by professional, trained technicians will likely be a safer truck while in operation,” said Ashley Murickan, product marketing manager, Volvo Trucks North America. “Additionally, the Volvo Blue Contract and its flexible billing options elevate our maintenance offering while simplifying the business transaction, ultimately benefiting both the customer and dealer.” Select preventative maintenance is included with the Volvo Blue Contract to provide further benefits to customers. Volvo said the plan allows customers to have full insight into their trucks’ service costs up front, providing confidence that their fleet maintenance is fully covered under the contract scope. Service schedules are tailored to specific vehicle applications in order to assist with the trucks being in top condition. This maximizes uptime, minimizes unnecessary stops at dealerships and reduces unforeseen repairs. Volvo adds its Blue Contract includes a 74-point inspection and oil analysis; all scheduled engine maintenance, including valve adjustments; all scheduled aftertreatment maintenance, including DPF cleaning; all scheduled transmission and scheduled axle maintenance; all scheduled chassis maintenance; fan belt tensioner and accessory drive belt tensioner replacements; and alternator coverage Additional repairs, such as warranty work or more advanced diagnostics, can be completed under the same roof, so trucks do not need to be removed from operation for separate service visits, Volvo said. Teamsters score another win within XPODrivers at XPO Logistics in Trenton, New Jersey, on Saturday, July 17 ratified their first contract with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, one week after their co-workers in Miami did the same, and the two groups now have their rights and protections in a legally binding contract for the first time. “For the second time in one week, XPO workers ratified their first contract at XPO despite XPO management saying workers would never ratify a contract,” said Jim Hoffa, Teamsters General President. “These two groups’ positive contract votes give other XPO workers the hope that they too can fight and win a more secure future as Teamsters.” The group of 34 drivers at XPO in Trenton voted to join Local 701 in April 2017, but negotiations had been delayed. “I’m happy to be joining our brothers in Miami who ratified their contract, and I look forward to expanding and improving upon this two-year agreement that gives us a strong foundation to build from,” said Bruce Ryan, a linehaul driver at the former Con-way Freight and XPO since 1996. “I also look forward to bringing more XPO members into the Teamsters Union so that they can also have their rights and protections in writing.” The contract includes “just-cause” protections, a grievance process, successorship language, job protection language and retirement protections, among other improvements. https://ift.tt/2ytPsnD |
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